My People
by KayValo87
Summary: When their people need them, they will always come through.


Welcome to my latest obsession.

By no means am I giving up on any other fandoms and plan to add a few more in the near future, but I recently rediscovered this show I used to watch in high school and that sparked a flood of ideas (old and new). So, here we go.

This story id dedicated to my dear friends, jennytork and San Antonio Rose, who are the ones who not only brought me back to this fandom but inspired me to write again. I couldn't have done this without you. :)

Enjoy ...

* * *

The laser blasts rained down on them, an explosive start to what was fast becoming a very bad day. Major John Sheppard peeked past the rock formation, ducking back to keep his head in one piece. This was the last time he took trade advice from a friend of a friend.

"We must go back," his local guide whispered urgently. "We can make it to the tree line. From there it is a straight path to-"

"Forget it!" John snapped, checking his clip. "I'm not going anywhere without my team."

The guide was insistent, and in the end fled toward the safety of his village. Not that it would stay safe for long the way these mercenaries were moving in. All the more reason for John to stay right where he was. He was the last line of defense, until McKay got that Ancient device up and running.

Gunfire got his attention and he briefly wondered if it was Ford or Teyla. His current position all but cut him off from helping them and every fiber of his being was screaming at him to get out there. It might be suicide, but he had to do it. Those were his people and he would do whatever it took to protect his people …

**^S^G^A^**

Dr. Rodney McKay took a deep breath as he checked the latest power readings. The sound of distant gunfire pressured him to move faster, but even he had his limits. If only his fingers could move at the speed of thought, he would have been done with this and be back on Atlantis by now.

"Please, do not tempt the hand of the gods," the village elder prattled off, for the tenth time. "It will mean your death."

"I think I'll take the risk," he muttered back.

He doubted it would do any good, as the man had not shut up ever since they laid their eyes on the Ancient device. Zoning out the grating voice, Rodney tried to focus on the task at hand. If he could get it up and running, they could use it to stop the mercenaries currently trying to decimate his team.

"You must stop!" the elder screamed, pulling on Rodney's arm. "The gods will be angry!"

"Not as angry as I will be if you don't _let go_!" he shouted back, shaking him off.

"But the gods-"

"I don't give a damn about your gods, but I'm not letting my team get killed for your relic!"

Turning away he finished connecting the power relays. Once that was done it was just a matter of activating the machine and letting it take out the mercenaries. His hand was over the power button when he felt the tip of a blade at his throat.

"You have spoken blasphemy against our gods. I will not allow this desecration go any farther."

"Don't you understand? This will _help_ your people."

"The gods will help them."

"There are no gods!" Rodney yelled, calming down when the blade pressed into his skin.

He could feel a warm trickle of blood starting to run down his neck. Luckily the old man had no idea where the carotid artery was. However, the fact that the knife was in the wrong spot didn't mean it couldn't kill him, he just wouldn't die quickly. More gunfire was heard, closer this time, accompanied by several loud blasts. He didn't have much time. Pushing the button might be suicide, but those were his people out there and he would do whatever it took to help them …

**^S^G^A^**

Dr. Carson Becket was not having a good day. First he got word that Major Sheppard and his team were going to engage mercenaries, so he was to prepare accordingly. They never said that the mercenaries used thermal blasters. On top of that, Rodney had practically gotten his throat slit by a man the Major described as "an angry Santa Claus."

"Listen, Doc, I feel fine," Sheppard argued, as one of the lab techs checked his blood pressure. "It wasn't even a direct hit."

"Direct or not, you have first and second degree burns," Carson countered. "I'd say you are a long way from fine."

He tried to brush it off, but couldn't fully hide the wince. Carson gave a signal to the lab tech, who immediately helped him lay down on the bed. Once he sent his report to Dr. Weir, he was sure to get enough support to keep the man in bed, but until then he was just going to have to stick with a firm voice and several assistants.

"Not that I'm not grateful for the food," McKay began from his bed, "but is this all you have?"

"You just got out of surgery, Rodney. A bland diet is best."

"I get that, I'm just not sure about the nutritional value of cardboard."

"If you're feeling up to it, I'll try to get you something better tomorrow," the doctor promised, double checking the scientist's bandage. "But for now, you need to rest."

"How can I rest while I'm starving to death?"

"Try."

His patient continued to grumble, but did resume eating. Pretty soon Sheppard added his thoughts to the one-way conversation, which only succeeded in starting an argument. Carson had to threaten sedation for both of them just to get a quiet environment to complete his medical reports. Keeping them both overnight might be a migraine waiting to happen, but they were his people. No sacrifice was too great when it came to taking care of his people.

* * *

So, what do you think?

Please leave a comment on your thoughts. The next one is going to be multi-chapter.


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